Tape reader



W. P. BYRN ES Feb. 13, 1962 TAPE READER Filed Sept. 17, 1958 FIG. 2

INVENTOR WILLIAM P. BYRNES ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,021,388 TAPEREADER William P. Byrnes, Glenview, Ill., assignor to TeletypeCorporation, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept..17,1958, Ser. No. 761,633

11 Claims. (Cl. 178-17) The present invention pertains to tapecontrolled telegraph transmitters and more particularly to high speedtape sensing devices for controlling the generation of permutation codesignals.

In the prior art, exemplified by US. Patent No. 2,659,- 767, grantedNovember 17, 1953, to W. J. Zenner, wherein ultra high speeds areachieved in the transmission of permutation code signals, certainlimitations have been experienced in the drive mechanism for the tapesensing and tape feeding facilities, which consists of driving the bailin one direction by an eccentric and returning the bail by means of aspring. In said devices, the return motion is blocked or unblocked bymeans of a magnetoperated blocking lever, thereby inhibiting or enablingoperation of the bail. Moreover, in the operation thereof, a strong bailreturn spring is required to assure that the bail will follow the motionof the eccentric drive, which spring action upon the blocking lever isconducive to abrupt and noisy operation.

In the arrangement according to the-present invention, a knee-action ortoggle-like mechanism is employed to link the eccentric drive and thebail, which organization of elements imparts a positive driving actionto said bail in both directions, and also is conducive to smoothblocking operation.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide asmooth and quiet operating mechanism for a tape controlled transmitter.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a tape controlledtransmitter, a magnet controlled toggle linkage mechanism for achievingultra high speed operation with a minimum of noise and vibration.

A more complete understmding of the present invention may be had fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partially in section showing the principalelemental parts of a tape controlled transmitter embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the elements comprising themagnet-controlled toggle-linkage driving mechanism comprising thepresent invention, and

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating an alternate form of the toggle orknee-action linkage.

Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 1, there isshown a tape controlled telegraph transmitter generally designated bythe reference numeral which senses code combinations of perforations 11positioned transversely and successively on a continuous tape 12. Thetape is advanced through the transmitter 10 in one step intervals topass over a U-shaped plate 13 secured between a pair of side plates 14(only one of which is shown in the drawing). A plurality of longitudinalslots 16 are formed in the U-shaped plate 13 and positioned within eachslot is a sensing pin 17 fixed to a sensing lever 18. Each sensing lever18 is formed out of some insulating material, such as a phenolic basecompound, in such a manner as to provide a projecting stud formed on itslower extremity to provide a pivotal connection with a switch blade 22(made of some conductive material such as copper) as shown in FIG. 2 ofsaid Patent No. 2,659,767. Forcing each one of the sensing levers 18upwardly to engage with the tape 12 is a coiled spring 23 having one endformed in a loop wrapped around an elongated stud 24 securely mountedwithin the side plates 14. The other ends of the coiled springs 23engage abutments 26 formed integral with v the sensing levers 18. Oneforce exerted by each coil spring 23 is a force tending to move eachsensing lever 18 upwardly, and another force exerted by the spring is aforce tending to urge each sensing pin 17 against the trailing extremityof each slot 16.

Returning now to a further consideration of the switch blades 22, theyare normally positioned in engagement with a first spacing contact rod27 which underlies each of the switch blades in a transverse fashion.The spacing contact rod 27 is mounted upon one of the side plates 14 andmay be left unconnected or have electrical connection to a source ofpotential of such polarity as to provide the spacing condition for theparticular system in which the telegraph transmitter is desired to beemployed. A second or marking contact rod 28 also underlies the switchblades 22 in a transverse fashion, but as shown in FIG. 1, the switchblades do not normally engage this rod. The marking contact rod 28 issecurely mounted to one of the side plates 14 but, in this instance, thecontact rod is connected to a source of potential of such polarity as toprovide the marking signal condition. Securely mounted on rods 27 and 28are a plurality of insulating plates 29 in such a manner as to beinterleaved between the switch blades 22 thereby electrically isolatingeach switch blade from its adjoining blades.

Holding the sensing levers 18 downardly against the effect of the coiledsprings 23 is a bail roller 31 which overlies each of the switch blades22 and is mounted between a pair of side arms 32 forming part of a bailassembly 33. The bail assembly 33 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 34extending between the side plates 14 of the transmitter'housing. Shaft34 also provides a mounting for a plurality of contact tension springs36 which are wrapped thereabout and have one of their free ends formedin the shape of a V to engage within correspondingly shaped V-notches 37formed in the switch blades 22. The opposite ends of the contact tensionsprings 36 are partially wrapped around a pin 38 extending between theside plates 14. It is to be understood that this particular mounting forthe springs 36 places these springs under continual tension to exert aforceon the switch blades 22 tending to urge them into engagement withthe marking contact rod 28.

The position assumed by the bail assembly 33 is controlled through theinstrumentality of a reciprocating operating arm 41 acting through aknee-action or toggle linkage, indicated generally by the numeral 42(FIG. 2). Formed at one end of the operating arm 41 is an enlargedcollar 43 into which is fitted an eccentric 44 adapted to be driven byan electric motor (not shown) through the instrumentality of a driveshaft 45. The other end of arm 41 is connected pivotally on pivot stud40 to the angular portion 46 of the toggle linkage 42. The extremity ofthe horizontal arm of the portion 46 is of circular conformation and isadapted to be articulated to the socket of the socket-link portion 48 ofthe linkage 42. Portion 48 is, in turn, connected pivotally to thedepending arm 49 of the bail 33. A projection 51 on portion 48 limitsthe pivotal movement in one direction of said link portion 48. Theangular portion 46 is provided with a vertical arm 52 adapted tocooperate with the depending portion 53 of an armature lever 54 mountedpivotally on v a pivot stud 55 secured to the side plate 14. Armaturelever 54 is normally urged counterclockwise by a spring 56 and isprovided with a pole piece 57 cooperable with an electromagmet 58suitably supported in the apparatus. Pivot stud 40 is secured to thefree extremity of a bail member 59 mounted on a pivot stud 61 secured tothe side frame 14. Bail member 59 thus acts to stabilize the motion ofthe pivotal connection 40 between the arm 41 ratchet by the influence ofa tension spring 67.

and the toggledinkage 42. A spring 62 attached to arm 52 retains, undercertain operating conditions, the toggle or knee-action linkage in itsstraightened position to cause the bail 33 to rock about shaft 34 asreciprocatory'motion is imparted to said linkage by arm 41 connected tothe eccentric 44.

The inhibiting device, exemplified by magnet 58 and armature 54, isadapted to control the operation of the bail assembly 33 by thereciprocating operating arm 41. In the present embodiment of theinvention the. shaft 45 is assumed to be rotating constantly therebyimparting continually a reciprocatory motion to arm 41. During operationof the transmitter 10, the magnet 58 is energized to withdraw thedepending portion 53 of armature lever 54 out of the path 'of arm 52thus allowing the spring 62 to maintain the toggle linkage 42 in itsstraightencd condition thereby causing the bail assembly 33 to oscillateabout shaft 34in a simple harmonic motion under the influence ofeccentric 44 through arm 41.

The tape 12 is advanced through the transmitter by means of feed wheel61 having a plurality of pins 62 attached to its periphery which engagesa longitudinal row of perforations formed in the tape 12. The feed wheel7 61 is fixed to a shaft 63 rotatably mounted within the side plates 14,and the shaft 63 is provided at one end with a ratchet 64. Engaging theratchet 64 is a feed pawl 66 pivotally mounted on the outer side arm 32of the bail assembly 33 and maintained in engagement with said Theratchet 64 is provided with'the usual anti-backlash roller mounted on aspring biased arm 68 to insure movement of the ratchet in only onedirection.

If the permutated perforated tape 12 is positioned above the sensingpins 17 when the bail roller 31 is pivoted upwardly, then the particularsensing pins 17 positioned beneath the permutated perforations 11 aremoved within the perforations by the sensing levers 18 acting undertheinfluence of the coiled springs 23. Due to the pivotal connectionsbetween the-sensing levers 18 and the switch blades 22, and the forcesexerted on the switch blades 22 by the contact springs 36, the movementof the sensing lever 18 is imparted to the switch blades 22 cansing saidswitch blades to pivot about the spacing contact rod 27 into engagementwith the marking contact rod 28. Further movement ofthe sensing'levers18, subsequent to'the. engagement of the switch blades 22 withthe'marking contact bail 28,,causes the switch blades 22 to pivot aboutthe marking contact rod 28 and out of engagement with the spacingcontact rod 27. Q

The particular electrical connections have not been shown but it isunderstood that the electrical conditions applied to the marking andspacing contact rods 27 and 28 will be extended, in accordance with thepermutated positions assumed by the switch blades 22 after theoccurrence of a sensing operation, through the switch blades 22, throughthe metallic contact tension springs 36, and from there to a transmitterdistributor of any well known type such as a rotary mechanicalcommutator-segment type or an electronic type.

Upon completion of each sensing operation, the tape 12 is' advanced oneincrementto' bring another transverse row of permutated apertures 11into position to be sensed by the sensing pins 17. This is accomplishedby advancing the feed wheel 61 in one step increments. Each time thatthe bail assembly 33 is oscillated in a counterclockwise direction, thespring biased feed pawl 66 is caused to move upwardly and advance overone of the teeth on the ratchet 64 and upon each clockwise movement ofthe oscillating bail 33, the feed pawl 66 is caused to engage a tooth tomove said ratchet one increment, and as a consequence, the feed wheel 61and tape 12 is advanced a like distance.

When it is desired to arrest the operation of the transmitter 10, themagnet 52 is de-energized, whereupon the armature lever 54 is releasedand is rotated about pivot 55 by its spring 56 and caused to restagainst a stop 70, thereby presenting the depending abutment portion 53into the path of the vertical arm 52. Then, upon each rightward movementof the toggle linkage 42, the arm 52 will impinge against the portion 53 to cause the angular portion 46 to rotate counterclockwise to collapsethe toggle 42, which will thereupon assume the dotted line position(FIG. 2) during a substantial portion of the rightward movement of'eachreciprocation of'the toggle linkage 42. As a consequence, thereciprocating arm 41 is ineffective to oscillate the bail assembly 33about its shaft 34, because when the magnet 52 is dc-energized, the arm52 of angle portion 46 will be blocked by the armature lever 54, thusthrowing links 46 and 48 of the linkage 42 out of toggle, so that thebail assembly 33 fails to receive a complete operating stroke. a

In FIG. 3 is illustrated an alternate form of toggle or knee-actionlinkage between the bail arm 49 and the operating arm 41, comprising anangular portion 71 and a link portion 72 pivotally articulated to eachother by a pivot 73. The link portion 72 is provided with an extensionterminating in a laterally directed lip portion 74 adapted to overlapthe upper edge of portion 71 to thereby limit the pivotal movement inone direction of the link portion 72, in a manner analogous toprojection 51, in FIG. 2. The angular portion 71 is also provided with avertical arm .75 comparable in function to arm 52 in the embodimentshown in FIG. 2. Spring 76 attached to arm 75 retains, under certainoperating conditions set forth hereinbefore, the toggle or knee-actionlinkage in its straightened position to cause the bail 33 through arm4?, to rock, as reciprocatory motion is imparted to said linkage by arm41.

The above described arrangement of apparatus and construction ofelemental parts are merely illustrative of the principles of theinvention, and other modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating eccentric drive means, a togglelinkage interconected between said bail and said drive means, animpinging means integrally associated with said toggle linkage, and an.electromagnetically controlled abutment means cooperable with saidimpinging means under a predetermined condition of operation of saidabutment means to govern the effectiveness of said toggle linkage tocontrol said bail.

2. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive meanscontrolled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnectedbetween said bail and said drive means, a stabilizer for floatinglysupporting said drive means and said linkage, impinging means integrallyassociated with said toggle linkage, and an electromagneticallycontrolled abutment means cooperable with said impinging means under apredetermined condition of operation of said abutment means to governthe effectiveness of said toggle linkage :to control said bail.

V 3. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said-tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive meanscontrolled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnectedbetween said bail and said drive means, means for floatingly supportingsaid drive means and said linkage, abuttal means integrally associatedwith said toggle linkage, abutment means cooperably related to saidabuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means, wherebysaid abutment means is enabled under certain conditions of operation torender said toggle linkage ineffective to control said bail.

4. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating eccentric means, drive meanscontrolled by said eccentric means, a toggle linkage interconnectedbetween said bail and said drive means, abuttal means integrallyassociated with said toggle linkage, abutment means cooperably relatedto said abuttal means, and means for controlling said abutment means,whereby said abutment means is enabled under certain conditions ofoperation to render said toggle linkage ineffective to control saidbail.

5. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating drive means, a knee-action deviceinterconnected between said bail and said drive means, abuttal meansintegrally associated with said knee-action device, abutment meanscooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling saidabutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certainconditions of operation to render said knee-action device inefiective tocontrol said bail.

6. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a reader mainbail for moving said tape sensing means to eifectuate a tape readingoperation, a constantly operating drive means, a knee-action deviceinterconnected between said bail and said drive means, means forfioatingly supporting said drive means and said linkage, abuttal meansintegrally associated with said knee-action device, abutment meanscooperably related to said abuttal means, and means for controlling saidabutment means, whereby said abutment means is enabled under certainconditions of operation to render said knee-action device inetfective tocontrol said bail.

7. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail foractuating said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, pivotallyinterconnected toggle members interconnecting said bail and said drivemeans, and means for maintaining said pivotally interconnected togglemembers in positive driving relation with each other to permit saideccentric drive means to operate said reader bail.

8. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail foractuating said tape sensing means to efiectuate a tape readingoperation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, permanentlyinterconnected members interconnecting sm'd bail and said eccentricdrive means, means for selectively maintaining said permanentlyinterconnected members in driving relation with one another to permitsaid eccentric drive means to operate said bail, and means forselectively moving and maintaining said permanently interconnectedmembers out of driving relation with one another to preclude operationof said bail by said constantly operating eccentric drive means.

9. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail foractuating said tape sensing means to etfectuate a tape readingoperation, constantly operating eccentric drive means, linkageinterconnecting said bail and said eccentric drive means including apair of rods joined in a pivotal connection, selectively operable meansfor maintaining said rods in rigid end-to-end engagement in said pivotalconnection to permit said eccentric drive means to operate said readerbail, and means for breaking said rigid end-to-end engagement at saidpivotal connection point to preclude operation of said bail by saideccentric drive means.

10. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, an oscillatablebail for accommodating movement of said tape sensing means into sensingengagement with said tape in one direction of oscillatory movement andfor moving said tape sensing means out of sensing engagement with saidtape in the other direction of oscillatory movement, constantly rotatingeccentric drive means, pivotally interconnected toggle membersinterconnecting said bail and eccentric drive means, means forselectively maintaining said pivotally interconnected members in drivingrelation with each other to permit said eccentric drive means topositively drive said bail in each direction of oscillatory movement,and means for selectively maintaining said pivotally interconnectedtoggle members out of driving relation with each other to effectivelypreclude movement of said bail by said eccentric drive means.

11. In a tape reader, a plurality of tape sensing means, a bail foractuating said tape sensing means to effectuate a tape readingoperation, constantly operating eccentric drive means including areciprocating driving member, linkage interconnecting said bail and saiddriving member including an L-shaped rod connected pivotally to saiddriving member at the bend formed in said L-shaped rod and a second rodhaving one end thereof connected pivotally to said bail, the other endof said second-mentioned rod interconnected with one end of saidL-shaped rod in a pivotal connection, one of said rods having aprojection formed thereon and disposed in overlying relation to theother rod, a spring connected to said other end of said L-shaped rod andoperative to pivot said L-shaped rod about the pivotal interconnectionwith said driving member to move the second-mentioned ends of said rodsinto rigid end-to-end engagement at said pivotal connection, saidprojection and said spring cooperatively operable to maintain said rodsin rigid end-to-end relation to permit the eccentric drive means totransmit motion to said bail and operate said bail, andelectromagnetically operable means including an armature with .ablocking member formed thereon and operable to present said blockingmember in the path of the arm of the L-shaped rod having the springattached thereto upon response of said armature to one electricalcondition of said electromagnetically operable means to pivot saidL-shaped member about the pivotal connection with said driving rod andmove the rods out of rigid end-to-end engagement at said pivotalconnection thereby reducing the motion transmitted by said eccentricdrive means to said bail and preeluding effective operation of the bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,206,219 Bryce July 2, 1940 2,550,411 Gemmel Apr. 24, 1951 2,659,767Zenner Nov. 17, 1953

